


Dance The Space Away

by RaceyBoi



Series: Thorbruce Week 2018 [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Comfort, M/M, Post-Thor: Ragnarok (2017), ThorBruce Week, uhhhh how do tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-04
Updated: 2018-08-04
Packaged: 2019-06-21 22:06:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15567333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RaceyBoi/pseuds/RaceyBoi
Summary: Day 4-  Bruce and Thor are both incredibly stressed while on the rescue ship headed towards Earth. In one of their few moments of isolation, they find comfort dancing with no music.Prompt: Touch





	Dance The Space Away

Thor was always going to be a remarkable king. It’s what he was raised for, bred for. The stature and proper traits were engraved into his bones from the moment he could walk. His person was set in stone from the beginning. He’d be strong enough to hold his own in battle, defend his realm from those who’d wish to destroy it, but gentle enough to care for those in need. Logical, yet emotional. Stern, yet merciful. Prideful, yet humble. He was born to be a mighty king, and a mighty king he was. 

However, even the most powerful men break.

After a week on the ship, Thor fooled himself into thinking the journey would be easy-going. He’d underestimated the travel time to Earth, literally lightyears away. He didn’t factor in resources or cabin fever. He definitely didn’t anticipate the possibility of an illness spreading through the close-quarters.

Luckily, though, the Asgardians weren’t in too much danger. It definitely wasn’t smooth sailing, but their lives weren’t on the line. The food and water on board were enough to get by scarcely and Heimdall and Valkyrie were huge helps in settling disputes. The epidemic wasn’t fatal. It just made for less sanitary conditions and caused citizens to be weaker and more irritable. Still, they were getting by.

At least, they were all physically managing.

Thor wasn’t sure how much longer he could handle being trapped inside this ship with so many people. Besides the natural itch for sunlight and fresh air, he was starting to feel claustrophobic. He had moments where he felt like he just had to get away; pace and hand-stim where no one could see him. He was getting fidgety and irritated, feeling confined and trapped. So much was being asked of him when he didn’t have a clue of what to do. The stress and anxiety were starting to creep their way into his waking life, making it harder and harder to settle disputes. A king was only as good as his people and his people were getting restless.

Thor wasn’t sure how or when the fight started. Heimdall was helping him pass out daily rations when there was yelling. Then there was crashing. Then there was screaming. Valkyrie rushed over and pulled the two men a part, their faces bloody and their knuckles already bruising. The fight only lasted a minute at most but when Asgardians fought, they fought hard. They got in money-shots first and asked questions later. The two men yelled over one another.

“Shut up!” Valkyrie demanded. They quickly, though grouchily, obliged. She was a fierce, honorable woman and when she talked, Asgardians listened. She instructed the people around her to tell the king and retrieve Doctor Banner along the way.

The second man was wrapping up his side of the story by the time Thor made his way to the commotion. Something about stolen food and blankets. As they neared Earth everyone was becoming more agitated and hungry, they blamed others for their misfortunes. 

Thor had a sinking feeling fights might soon become a common occurrence. They’ve been traveling for so long. The ship was so close to their new home. The Asgardians just needed enough enthusiasm to last a little longer, a speech to inspire hope and invoke patience. He could always make a public example of the two men in order to shut down any passing thoughts of a future fight, but he wasn’t going to let himself be a malevolent king. He use to say he wants to be exactly like his father. Now he knew better.

“My people, a moment of your time!” Thor pushed over a nearby crate with his foot before standing atop it. He raised his arms and waited for the room to quiet, for all eyes to be on him. His voice boomed through the ship. “I understand we are restless. I understand we are tired and hungry and ill. Most importantly, we are alive. We have made it this far and we will only make it further if we stick together. Earth is a week away. We will get there, we will start again, and we will show all that the Asgardians are not gone! Our culture, our people, are not gone! Hela has taken our home. But she failed in taking us!”

As Thor talked, his voice seemed to emit a powerful aura around the room. The crowd offered low whistles and loud claps as he paused. His determination was contagious and compelling. A great king was a phenomenal storyteller and public speaker. He spent years giving speeches before heading into battle, figuring out exactly what the people needed to hear. When the cheers calmed down Thor quickly caught eyes with Bruce, who rushed from caring for an ill patient to caring for a split lip. He cleared his throat.

“We must not squabble amongst each other, Asgard! There is strength in numbers and unity in family. My brothers, sisters, siblings, we are embarking on this journey together. We must care for each other, tend to the sick together, look after the children together. Through numbers, we will persevere! The worst of our troubles has passed! We must show both them and the universe that we will not be beaten. We will not be divided! Together and only together! We will not stand down! We will not stand apart! Because we are strong! We are Asgardians and we have always been strong!”

Both the ill and healthy clapped and cheered alike while Thor stepped down from his makeshift stage. The men did not apologize to one another, yet one felt guilty enough to apologize to his new king. Thor accepted it humbly before rushing off to the lower, more private part of the ship. Although he’d love to keep the energy going upstairs, he was too stressed to actually process his own speech. His expression and body language switched suddenly as he hid further away from his subject’s eyes. His facade was crumbling like the remains of his castle. His planet. His life.

Thor paced back and forth. The hopeful speech just added to his unrest. He had all this energy, electricity, coursing through his veins with nowhere to put it. It was starting to drive him up a wall. He wasn’t able to go for walks, work-out, or sparr and the stillness was causing him to shake.

He halted in his tracks at the creaking sound of the upstairs hatch opening.

A relaxed sigh escaped Thor’s lips as Bruce came into view, climbing carefully down the metal ladder. He smiled despite himself. Bruce smiled back, all tired eyes and gray hair and perfect lips. They met each other in the middle of the room. In perfect harmony, Thor leaned down while Bruce reached up for a kiss.

“That was some speech you gave.” Bruce interlocked Thor’s fingers with his. “How are you doing?”

“I’m handling. How are you, darling? Are you feeling well?”

Bruce chuckled fondly. Thor was stressed beyond relief, yet he continued to place a hand on his husband’s head and fuss over him. “I’m pretty sure it’s physically impossible for me to get sick. No matter how many people nearly blow me across the room with a sneeze.”

Thor smiled, though he seemed to dance around his next question. It hung in the air between them, clear as day on the tip of his tongue. Bruce had spent the past couple weeks rushing back and forth from patient to patient. A few other doctors and nurses made it on board, however half of them caught the illness as well and were too weak to aid. Bruce’s job was mainly to keep sick citizens comfortable, but the task was more demanding than it seemed.

“I’m fine there too, honey.” Bruce kissed the back of Thor’s hand, answering his unasked question. “I’ve learned how to maintain my heartrate in stressful situations by now. I’ve sprinted down alleyways without hulking out. Trust me, I’ll be fine.”

“I know you will.”

Thor pulled Bruce into his chest before wrapping his arms around the smaller man’s upper back and leaning his chin on his head. Bruce responded by hugging him tightly around the waist. It wasn’t that they didn’t trust Hulk. After all, he was on board for a few days. They knew that he knew how to behave. They just couldn’t risk the space, resources, and losing Dr. Banner. Not that Bruce wanted to go back into the pocket of their brain anytime soon.

Thor leaned into the pressure of Bruce’s body against his. They both found comfort in the touch, relaxing into the familiar embrace. Once they were holding each other, neither man wanted to let go. They both felt as if space and time would stop if they just stayed there in each other’s arms. There would be no more stress, no more responsibilities or decisions. There’d only be them and their love keeping them both standing. The air settled around the two for a few moments until Thor’s excess energy caused him to start lightly swaying.

Bruce smiled as he drifted along to his husband’s swinging. He hummed an old song Rebecca use to sing to him in the garden, the melody vibrating off of his vocals like a second language. He was young, but he remembered the tune well. He felt Thor smile against him before kissing the crown of his head. He always loved when Bruce hummed or sang and he often told him he should do it more often. It made him seem younger, more full of life, less pained.

Bruce unburied his head from Thor’s chest to wrap his arms around his shoulders. He paused his song just long enough to lean onto his tiptoes for another kiss. 

When it ended, Thor seemed to open his eyes in a daze. His head tried to follow Bruce’s as the shorter man pulled away. They haven’t had an intimate moment like this in so long. There were always people to care for, kingly duties to address. There was never enough time for them to simply enjoy each other’s company. 

Bruce laughed as Thor involuntarily chased him. He leaned up again, taking several breaks simply because they both couldn’t stop smiling into the kiss.

“Dance with me?” Thor mused.

“I’d be honored.”

Bruce kept his arms around Thor’s shoulders as Thor moved his rough hands from his lower back to his hips. Bruce began to hum again. They moved together, although a little clumsily. Thor wasn’t too familiar with Midgardian dancing and Bruce was out of practice, to say the least. Still, there was perfection in their imperfection.

Each time one would step on the other’s foot, they’d both laugh. They stumbled and tripped, fumbled awkwardly and nearly fell. The more mistakes they made, the more playful they felt. Thor twirled Bruce around and Bruce went on his toes to return the favor, instructing him when to spin in and out. His humming was replaced with husky singing, which was replaced by spoken words interrupted by laughter. 

Thor began to feel his excess electricity rising now as he let out energy. He pulled Bruce in for another kiss, letting him go just to hold his face in his hands. 

“Stand on my feet.”

Bruce laughed again. The sound seemed to heal Thor’s internal wounds each time it grazed his ears. “Are you sure?”

Thor smiled wide and free. He chuckled – a powerful and pleasant sound Bruce didn’t think he could live without – and pulled Bruce closer to him. Bruce followed his movement with a grin before stepping onto Thor’s shoes.

Clumsily, Thor began dancing around the room. As he moved, electricity started swirling and twirling around the air in bolts. They avoided hitting Bruce, but his curls began to frizz. He watched them over Thor’s shoulder as his eyes filled with awe. He often forgot just how powerful the god was. While he and Thor cooked and gardened together, Hulk was the one who sparred and battled alongside him. He didn’t get to see that side of his husband. The electricity suited him well; a powerful and beautiful ability for a powerful and beautiful man.

Meanwhile, Thor felt liberated. The sparks rolled off of him to create a stunning show of bolts and shapes. The love of his life gaped, awed, and laughed in his arms. This was exactly where he wanted to be. In that moment, all stress was nonexistent. He just danced and spun alongside Bruce, kissing and laughing for what felt like hours until they were needed upstairs once more.

Thor was always meant to be a great king. With Bruce at his side, though, he knew he’d be a remarkable one.


End file.
